COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant individual performance and a furious, desperate comeback that fell just short, the Oklahoma Sooners held off the Missouri Tigers 84-78 in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Mizzou Arena.

The contest, played before an announced crowd of 3,586, was a tale of two halves and one spectacular scorer. Oklahoma built a commanding 17-point lead through three quarters, only to watch Missouri’s Shannon Dowell engineer a stunning fourth-quarter rally that brought the Tigers within a single possession in the final minute.

Dowell, a 5-foot-10 guard from O’Fallon, Illinois, was virtually unstoppable, pouring in a game-high 33 points. She scored 17 of those in the final period, single-handedly fueling Missouri’s 28-point quarter. Her driving layups, mid-range jumpers, and ability to draw fouls brought the Tigers roaring back from a 67-50 deficit at the start of the fourth.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded with just over 30 seconds remaining and Oklahoma clinging to a 75-73 lead. After a missed Oklahoma jumper, Dowell secured the defensive rebound, raced upcourt, and calmly sank a pull-up jumper to tie the game at 75 with 44 seconds left, capping a 25-8 Missouri run.

Oklahoma, however, displayed the poise of a team now 23-6 overall. On the ensuing possession, the Sooners worked the ball to Sahara Williams, whose initial shot was blocked. Williams, a 6-foot sophomore from Waterloo, Iowa, stayed with the play, grabbing the offensive rebound and converting a putback while being fouled. She completed the three-point play at the free-throw line, giving Oklahoma a 78-75 lead with 13 seconds remaining.

Missouri had a final chance. After a timeout, the inbounds play found Jordana Reisma, who connected on a clutch 3-pointer from the wing with five seconds left, assisted by Dowell, to knot the score again at 78.

With the game hanging in the balance, Oklahoma’s star guard Aaliyah Chavez took over. The 5-foot-10 sophomore from Lubbock, Texas, took the inbounds pass, drove the length of the court, and finished a difficult layup through traffic with 1.2 seconds on the clock to put the Sooners ahead 80-78. Missouri’s ensuing desperation heave was intercepted, and Oklahoma added two final free throws to seal the six-point victory.

While Dowell’s heroics defined the game’s drama, Oklahoma’s balance and interior dominance provided the foundation for the win. Forward Raegan Beers, a 6-4 junior from Littleton, Colorado, was a force inside, scoring 23 points on efficient 11-of-17 shooting and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Chavez finished with 18 points, while Payton Verhulst added 16 and Williams contributed 13 points and five assists.

Oklahoma’s significant advantage came on the boards, where they outrebounded Missouri 46-31 and secured a staggering 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 19 second-chance points. Missouri managed only six offensive rebounds. The Sooners also were more efficient offensively, scoring 84 points on 77 possessions for a rating of 109.7, while the Tigers scored 78 on 80 possessions for a 98.1 rating.

For Missouri, which fell to 16-15, Reisma supported Dowell with 13 points and five assists. Grace Slaughter added 15 points.

The game began with Oklahoma establishing control early, leading 25-16 after the first quarter and taking a 40-34 advantage into halftime. The Sooners then appeared to blow the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Missouri 27-16 behind a 12-2 run to build their largest lead. Dowell, however, refused to let her team succumb, setting the stage for the frantic finish.

Oklahoma entered the game as a heavy favorite, projected with a 92.4% win probability by analytics systems and installed as 19.5-point favorites. The combined score of 162 points narrowly exceeded the over/under line of 162.5.

The victory extends Oklahoma’s winning streak to three games as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. Missouri, despite the loss, showed significant fight in its final home game, nearly pulling off a monumental upset against one of the SEC’s top teams.